The unwanted
by L. Byron
Summary: Very AU. After ten long years beyond the wall, the night watch return. How will the families of Jon snow, Tyrion, and Sandor react?
1. Riders in the night

Author'snotes

This is a very AU universe.

Rob Stark is the lord of the north, and Eddard Stark died of natural causes. All of Eddard's children never left winterfell.

No mad king, the current queen of westeros is Daenerys Targaryen.

There hasn't been a war in westeros since the Aegon I conquered and unified the seven kingdoms.

Robert Baratheon is hand of the king.

Now to the story.

The lord commander checked again the list of new recruits. It was strange to see so many "volunteers" from noble houses.

They couldn't have come in a better time, especially now with the strange rumors coming from the other side of the wall. Jeor Mormont knew he needed capable leaders to help him face whatever threat would come from the north.

As he watched them train, He knew Jon Snow would be a great asset. The other two, Sandor Cleagne and Tyrion Lannister possessed skills the other lacked.

Sandor was obviously a great warrior, but he was not a leader. He had been a member of the kingsguard and his training would come in handy.

In the case of Tyrion, his quick mind was also beginning to show. Normally the night watch would have rejected him, but he decided to make an exception with him as he was the son Tywin Lannister, who was perhaps the most powerful and richest man in Westeros, and it was by his request that his son be sent there.

Months later, when finally the new recruits had taken their oaths, the lord commander summoned those three to his presence.

"I am going to be frank with you" the lord commander said

"The world is a cruel place and you are here because you couldn't find a place in the world or were rejected by your own families"

He looked at each of them in the face and added.

"Your new family is here with your brothers of the watch; Noble born or peasant, rich or poor, bastard or a legit son. Those things may have a meaning where you came from, but it means nothing here"

His words filled them with a sense of belonging, that they were finally accepted among equals.

"I am going to need your help" were his final words. He looked beyond the wall, towards the frozen lands.

10 years later in Winterfell.

The wedding of Myrcella Baratheon and Bran Stark was the social event of the year. All the noble houses had been invited and even representatives from the free cities had come.

"The north is so beautiful" the queen said as she admired the landscape from the balcony.

Robert Stark answered "If your majesty desires, tomorrow I could show you the land in more detail"

She sighed and looked to the north

"I Have always wanted to see the wall" she noticed a sad look came upon Robert at the mention of it

"Your half brother" she asked "He was in the night watch service when they all disappeared 10 years ago"

"Yes, he was" he answered "The wall has been deserted since then. No one wants to go there as people believe it's cursed or haunted"

The queen changed the subject

"We should go back to the celebrations" she said with a smile

The entrance of winterfell was guarded by both the royalguards and also Rob's men. Nothing out of the ordinary had happened so far and the men were getting bored.

"How can you stand the cold?" the captain of the Royal guard asked one of Rob's men.

Arya smiled as she listened to the soldier's conversations from her hiding spot. She left the celebration early as she didn't like how people stared at her in fear for her condition

She always loved an adventure, and five years ago she had taken a long journey to the shadows lands in Essos, but she returned changed; neither dead nor alive, eternally frozen at 15, and with the nasty habit of needing blood. They feared even thought she only took animal blood, never human.

"Captain, a group of riders are approaching" One soldier announced.

Arya stared and saw 4 riders coming. Despite her excellent night vision, she could not see their faces as they all wore hoods over their faces and they were still far away

"Who could it be?" she wondered, but then he heard a familiar voice.

"Arya, what are you doing up there so alone?"

Her youngest brother called said.

She jumped from the tree where she was hiding and landed right in front of her brother.

He smirked at her

"I knew I would found you here. Come inside, Robert wishes to speak with you".

Arya fallowed his brother, but she still wondered who the riders were.

20 minutes later, Arya sat with all his siblings and the guests, looking bored. Politics didn't interest her and apparently it was the only theme. She exchanged a few words with Jaime Lannister, who was one of the few people that didn't fear her and was interested to learn more of her condition, but right now was talking with his sister Cersei"

She barely noticed as a soldier entered the hall and approached Rob.

"My lord, there is a group of travellers that are here to see you. They say it's a matter of urgency"

"Send them in" he ordered.

"Why are we here?" Sandor asked with a little discomfort.

"It has always been a costume that the new lord commander pays a visit to the lord of winterfell. They are our southern neighbours and closest allies"

Tyrion asked "Allies? Did we ever receive help during all these years of war and imprisonment? Surely they must have noticed our absence"

Samwell added

"I doubt we have come at the right time. We should wait until the celebration is over"

Tyrion, who had seen the banners of his family, wasn't happy at the prospect of seeing them. Jon knew what was on his mind and said

"They have probably forgotten about us. We all meant little to our families that I would be surprised if they did remember…But even if they did, their insults mean nothing after all we have been through"

Sandor was about to say something but the door opened and a soldier told them to come inside.


	2. News from the North

No one felt more at odds than Tyrion. The music, laughter, fancy clothing were once part of his world, but now it all seemed like a distant dream. He walked along with his "black brothers" of the watch, his eyes focused solely on Rob Stark as he didn't want to see the faces that haunted him in his first year in the wall.

He barely noticed the silence that fell in the hall when they stood in front of the lord of winterfell and took off their hoods, revealing their grim faces and their black clothes, symbol of their order. He could feel their eyes upon him but he remained with his stare fixed on Rob Stark, his expression emotionless.

No one paid attention when the four travellers entered the hall, they moved slowly until they stood in front of the lord of winterfell.

"She must be the queen" the lord commander thought as he saw a young woman with light hair sitting next to his "half brother". Even in the distant north the news of a bloodless rebellion against her brother has reached them. Apparently her older brother Viserys had been a terrible King; He had been overthrown and sent into exile four years ago.

He brushed that thoughts aside as he had no business with her; technically the wall and the night watch were no part of her kingdom.

He wasted no time in formalities once he revealed his presence. Like his companion, he wanted to return to the wall as soon as possible and start reparations on castle black. He was here to present himself as commander of the night watch and deliver a message that the king beyond the wall sent.

Arya was just as shocked as everyone else as she listened to Jon.

After presenting himself, Jon gave Rob, who hadn't uttered a word by his shock, a ring that belonged to the former lord commander Jeor Mormont, but his son Jorah mormont was present at the table.

"That was my father's ring" the lord of Bear Island and member of the high council said

Jon turned to face him and bowed his head

"Your father was a brave man, and it was an honour to serve him"

After he received the ring, Jorah asked.

"How did he die?"

Jon answered with a sad expression

"He died in the land of always winter, fighting the others and wights"

Rumors filled the hall at the mention of the others, but Jon paid no attention to them. He turned to face Rob and said

"We fought the king of the north but later he was our ally in the war against our common enemy. The free man of the north were vital in the final victory…Now the king of the north has sent a message to the people of the south"

He extended a parchment to Rob and added

"He wishes to establish diplomatic relations"

After a long silence, the first to speak was a northern commander.

"This is the north" he said "and yet you call this…wildling king of the north"

It was Tyrion who answered.

"Frostfangs, the haunted forest, thenn, the lands of always winter…all the lands beyond the wall are the Real north, my lord. So yes, he is the king of the North"

Before anyone could say anything, Jon said.

"Our business is done here, my lord. Now with your permission we shall return to our duties in the wall"

He bowed and turned, wishing to leave a place where he never felt welcomed as a child. The wall and the "True" north may be harsher lands, but at least he was accepted there and it was home.

Arya could not believe this. He was leaving just like that. It was obvious to her than Jon was not the same person he was when he left to the wall 10 years ago and wondered what sort of terrible experiences he had been through.

She was about to call him, but then she heard the voice of the queen.

"Lord Commander, wait"

Jon and his companions stopped and turned to look at the Targaryen queen

"The night is late and the journey to the wall is long…will you enjoy our hospitality tonight? I have always wanted to see the wall and perhaps you could take me there tomorrow morning"

Jon seemed doubtful for a moment. He really didn't want to stay, but as lord commander he had other responsibilities, and this was the time for diplomacy.

"It would be an honour" he said


	3. The tale of two Brothers

The servants quickly prepared a small table and brought food to the four travellers. Jon tried to recall when was the last time he had actually enjoyed a meal on a table with a roof over his head, instead of sitting in the roots of a tree in a dark forest, or in the frozen earth of the icy lands of always winter, but he couldn't remember.

The celebration continued around them but they paid no attention to the constant stares. Eating in silence; each of them lost in their own thoughts. The past few years they relied only on survival instincts, their only thoughts dedicated to day to day survival in the wild and battle strategies; but now they finally had time to actually reflect on their experiences, the fallen comrades, the beauty and also the horrors of the wild lands.

All Arya wanted was to go and sit in their table and talk with all of them, especially Jon. But it was obvious that for the moment they just wanted to be left alone.

She was deeply touched when one of them, the one who was terrible scarred in half his face, raised his cup and said

"To our fallen brothers"

The others fallowed his example and then drank the wine with solemn expressions.

Apparently her older sister Sansa noticed that to

"I wonder how he got that scar?" she asked mostly to herself.

Both sisters were taken by surprise when they heard the voice of lord Baelish

"His name is Sandor Clegane" he said in a whisper

His last name recalled an unpleasant memory from Sansa

"Is he related to ser Gregor?" the displeasure was evident on her voice.

Arya asked, curiosity evident on her face, "The Mountain?"

Lord Baelish smiled "Sandor is the youngest brother of the mountain"

he took a quick look at Sandor and then reassumed with the story

"When Sandor was five he took one of his brother's toy knights. One of the servants warned him of his brother foul temper, but he said in his innocence that he'll be a smart boy, that he'll have it back in place by the time Gregor return"

He took a moment to let his words register, and smiled as he noticed he had caught their entire attention

"But he didn't count on his brother arriving home earlier than usual. He ran and tried to hide when he saw his brother standing at the entrance of the house looking at him with a smirk. When Gregor found him, he took the toy from his trembling hands and then yanked his little brother off the floor. The servants tried to interfere, but they were terrible afraid of Gregor. They did nothing but watch as he dragged his crying brother to a brazier"

Arya's eyes widened

"His sobs turned into screams when Gregor put his face into the red hot coals at the bottom of the brazier, one hand in Sandor's hair, pressing down"

"T…That is monstrous" Sansa said deeply affected by the story.

Lord Baelish stared once again at Sandor and then continued

"When their father died, Sandor left his home and joined the king's guard. He was so loyal that he was known as the hound. His loyalty could have earned him the title of Knight, but he has always loathed the "Hypocrisy of knighthood" that according to his own words. I still don't know why he left king's landing and took the vows of the watch"

Both Arya and Sansa stared at him, pity in her eyes

"I wonder what is the story of each of them?." Arya wondered

Lord Baelish answered "Probably not a happy one if they joined the watch"

Retiring early, as they were tired from their travel, they intended to sleep in the outskirts of winterfell, but Rob and Catelyn insisted them to stay in the castle and they accepted.

Arya noticed the sadness in Cersei and Jaime Lannister as they watched their brother retiring without looking at them. She felt the same as Jon did so as well.

An idea was already forming in her mind, she needed to know what had happened in those ten years, and none of them seemed to want to talk about it. There was only one way left.

"In blood there is truth" she whispered to herself.

Later that night, Jon was the first Arya went to "see". For a moment she was scared as she didn't see him in the bed, but then she saw him sleeping on the floor with a knife at his side

"What has the world done to you, Jon?" she thought.

All the Starks, save for Arya, sat together in the darkened hall. The guests have already retired to their rooms and they wanted to have a family time.

"Where is Arya?" Catelyn asked, Rob shrugged his shoulders

"You know her" he said, but then she entered the hall and approached them.

Her family would never get used to her new "Habits" as they all noticed a small trail of blood than went from her mouth to her chin, but at that moment not one of them paid much attention to that detail, as the expression on her face was filled with great sadness.

Her mother was greatly concerned, Arya was normally a happy child and it was rare to see her in this state.

"Sweety, what is wrong?" she asked with a gentle voice. Arya stared at her as tears began to flow freely from her eyes.


	4. Blood memories

"You drank from all of them?" Robb asked with incredulity.

Arya defended herself, her eyes filled with emotion

"You know that I have not tasted human blood for 3 years, but I just needed to know what Happened to Jon"

She looked at each member of her family and asked "Aren't you curious to know?"

They all looked at each other and by their looks Arya knew that they didn't approve the method she used but still were willing to listen.

For 2 hours, she told them the most important memories, not Just Jon's but also his three companions' so they could understand their motives.

At one moment she stared at Sansa and asked her

"Do you remember what Lord Baelish told us about Sandor? The reality was much worse than what he told us. It's really a miracle that poor man survived all the abuse and constant beating he had to endure at the hands of his brother".

The Starks were not particularly fond Tywin Lannister, and the story of Tyrion's first and only love only made his father look like a monster.

Arya narrated

"When Tyrion Lannister was very young, he met a wheelwright's daughter on the road, apparently the victim of an attempted rape. Whilst his brother Jaime ran off the attackers, Tyrion helped the girl recover from the ordeal, and they became lovers.

They found a wandering septon wiling to marry them and briefly, they lived as husband and wife, until Lord Tywin learned what had happened. Jaime told Tyrion that he organized the incident to make him experience his first woman, and the girl was actually a prostitute.

Tywin had his guards rape her whilst he made Tyrion watch. She was then sent on her way. Tyrion lost his innocence and his faith on love that day"

A shocked Sansa asked "Is that why he joined the watch?"

Arya denied with her head.

"Ten years ago, Jaime finally confessed to him that their father had made him lie about Tysha being a prostitute, and that she was just a peasant girl who had genuinely loved Tyrion"

Arya continued with the story of Jon's closest friend Samwell

"His story is similar to Tyrion. He grew up unloved by his father. The days before he joined the watch his father told him that he was not worthy of their house's ancestral sword, and that he must join the Night's Watch and renounce his family name so that he would not stand in the way of his younger brother's inheritance. His father promised that he would suffer an unfortunate hunting accident on the morrow if he didn't obey"

Arya knew the vows of the Night watch was a secret that was jealously guarded by the order, so she asked their family if they wanted to hear it. That was one of the memories that touched her more, and she recited the oath with a solemn voice

"Night gathers, and now my watch begins. It shall not end until my death. I shall take no wife, hold no lands, father no children. I shall wear no crowns and win no glory. I shall live and die at my post. I am the sword in the darkness. I am the watcher on the walls. I am the fire that burns against the cold, the light that brings the dawn, the horn that wakes the sleepers, the shield that guards the realms of men. I pledge my life and honor to the Night's Watch, for this night and all nights to come".

The rest of her narrative, as she spoke of the events beyond the wall, were filled with death, battles, imprisonment, torture, rescue missions, horror, starvation, darkness and cold.

She finished with the last battle that was fought all night long above a frozen lake as icy rain fell over the combatants.

Silence followed Arya's tale, as her family was too shaken to say anything.

It was Katelyn who spoke first, remorse in her voice

"I despised him for the wrong reasons"

All her children stared at her, surprised to hear those words. A tear escaped her eye and she continued.

"When your father died a year ago, he confessed me something…I think it's time you all learn the truth about Jon"

They all remained silent, waiting for their mother to continue.

"You have heard the story of your aunt Lyanna"

She looked at Arya and added "You remind me of her. The same looks and spirit; She was just 16 when she "died""

She took another moment to organize her thoughts, her eyes lost in the distance, as if recalling ancient memories

"Lyanna's beauty was famous in all the seven kingdoms, and she had many suitors from all the noble houses, yet she didn't want that life of an obedient wife of a lord, she enjoyed riding with her brothers in the open fields…However that changed when she met Rhaegar Targaryen"

Robb asked "He was the oldest brother of the queen, was he not?"

Sansa added "Didn't they both die in the same accident?"

Catelyn answered "That was what King Aerys, Richard Stark and your father told, but that was not the truth"

With their complete attention, Katelyn continued

"Lyanna loved the prince at first sight, and both the king and Richard Stark were already discussing the possibility of a marriage…unfortunately Lyanna's love was unrequited, as he loved a common girl who was pregnant from another man. The king was furious for the scandal it would cause if it was made public, and Lyanna became desperate. I suppose the fire that burned in her impulsive nature was what drove her to do anything in her power to get the prince"

Catelyn lowered her voice; as if afraid an intruder would hear the rest of the story.

"In her desperation, she recurred to black magic from the shadow lands in Essos…but there is always a price to pay if you use that kind of magic. She wanted to spend eternity with her dear prince, and the dark powers that she turned to, played a cruel joke at her"

Tears filled her eyes once again as she stared at her youngest daughter and said

"You must know, Arya, that you were not the first of your kind in Westeros; The magic might have come from Essos, but the curse originated in Westeros"

Arya's lips trembled "Lyanna" she whispered

Her mother nodded with her head

"She panicked when she realized what the spell had done to her and the prince. The king was as responsible as her, as he encouraged her to do so. At first, both the king and Richard tried to control the situation. Lyanna was able to control her new urges with easy. She drank human blood but only a few drops were enough to satisfy the hunger. Unfortunately that was not the case with the prince"

"One night, he escaped from the palace and Lyanna fallowed. Richard and your father tried to locate them with little luck, until they went to the house of the prince's lover"

Catelyn once again paused as her expression saddened. It obviously pained her to tell what came next.

"What they found there filled them with horror. The prince went to see the woman he truly loved, on the intent to escape with her, but the thirst was just too strong…Lyanna arrived too late to stop him. They saw the prince crying like a mad man over the pale body of the woman, while Lyanna, her face filled with remorse, was holding a newborn baby in her arms…that baby was Jon"

The faces of all those present drained of all colour by this revelation.

"When the king found out, he resolved to send his son and Lyanna to the shadow lands, in hopes to find a cure to their condition…I often wondered how do you cure someone who is already dead… that was not a natural decease but a supernatural condition… I think your father knew it was really an exile"

"Driven by Guilt, Lyanna gave the baby to Eddard. She knew she was responsible for the death of his mother, and made him promise that he would look after him"

Tears began to flow from her face as she stared at Arya

"Why did you disobey your father and I four years ago?"

She broke down and cried.

Arya was deeply touched to see her mother crying like that. She rose from her chair and approached her mother.

"Mother, I"

Not knowing what to say, she simply took her mother in her arms

"I should have tried harder to stop you…If I had known you were going to take a ship in king's landing…I think our family is still paying the prize for using that black magic"

"I am sorry for everything" an unknown voice was heard coming from the entrance of the hall, it sounded like a young woman.

"Who is there?" Robb asked alarmed.

When the figure approached, Catelyn gasped in fright

"No, it can't be you"

Arya's eyes widened for the woman standing there resembled her in almost every way, although this woman was more beautiful and taller, and seemed one or two years older.

Robb and Bran unsheathed their sword, but their faces were filled with fear. Lyanna's beautiful face was filled with sadness

"I am not going to hurt you" she said

"Mother?" Robb turned to look at his mother.

Catelyn said "Let her come"

The young woman came closer and stared at them all

"You have a beautiful family, Catelyn. I am sure Eddard was really proud of all of you"

Catelyn said nothing and waited for her sister in law to continue.

Arya tried to remain calm as her "aunt" turned to her and said

"I am really sorry this happened to you…I..I have been watching over you since the day you were…t..turned" She lowered her head in shame.

Arya's hot temper gained the best of her. "DID YOU DO THIS TO ME?" she screamed.

Her aunt stared at her pleadingly "I have never given the dark gift to another…I would never condemn anyone to this unnatural life in death"

Arya calmed down a little and decided to let her aunt continue

"I was surprised to a see a ship of Westeros in that corner of the world. M y surprise grew when I saw you. Unfortunately your presence also caught the attention of another"

Arya whispered "Targaryan"

Lyanna smiled sadly and continued "He never forgave me for what I did to him, and when he saw you, he took the opportunity to have his vengeance, by hurting my kin"

Catelyn asked

"Why didn't you stop him? You were his maker and also the first of your kind"

Lyanna replied to Katelyn but her eyes were focused on Arya

"Believe me, I tried, I really tried, but when I found him he has already drained her to the point of death"

She stared at them all, a look of sadness and remorse in her eyes

"What choice did I have? It was "true" death for her or the dark gift" Arya's expression softened and she asked more calmly

"What happened to him?"

Lyanna replied "He died by his own free will…that is the only way we perish… you already know the sun weaken us but is not mortal…For a long time I had desired for death, but I know I must first pay for my sins and seek redemption"

She stared once again and Arya and said

"I just hope one day you will forgive me"

She said no more and lowered her head in shame, but then Arya surprised her as she felt her arms embracing her.

"You did nothing to me and even saved me from death" Arya said with a soft voice.

Her aunt replied "I.. I started all of this"

Arya smiled at her and said "People have often told me how much I am like you…we are both very impulsive, and…"

She took a moment and stared at her mother.

"And I am also partly responsible for disobeying my parents… I went looking for adventures around the world without considering how my parents felt".

She kissed her aunt's check and said "There is nothing to forgive"

The face of Lyanna was radiant from a moment, as if a big burnden had been taken off her

"And besides" Arya added "What we have experienced is nothing compared to what other people have endured in their lives"

Lyanna said "I listened to you when you told those terrible stories"

At her Niece's surprised expression, Lyanna added with a smile "I told you before…I felt responsible for you, and I have been watching over you ever since, even if you haven't felt my presence"


	5. Storm

Lyanna didn't expect this. She thought they were going to reject her and instead found herself, after long years in exile, back to her family.

"You are my Father's sister, my aunt" Robb said as he embraced her and added

"You are a lady of winterfell, a Stark".

Lady Catelyn, who was the only one that still had some "Mistrust" in her eyes, mostly for what happened to Arya, approached her and said, her voice sincere.

"Welcome home, sister"

Lightening illuminated the hall and a few seconds later the sound of thunder was heard.

"A storm is coming" Brandon noted, and then they all felt a cold wind.

"My bride must be wondering where I am" he said with a smile

All the members of his family smiled, even his mother, who playfully scolded him

"I don't know how I would have reacted if Eddard kept me waiting on our wedding night…go"

They all retired to their rooms, as tomorrow was going to be a long day. Arya accompanied her newly found aunt to her old room.

Lyanna was surprised to find all her personal belongings there. It was as if she had never left.

Arya knew what was on her mind "Father wanted to keep your room intact"

When Lyanna turned, Arya saw tears, but these were tears of joy. "I am not dreaming, am I?"

Arya embraced her once again "You are home now, with your family"

When Arya finally went to her rooms, she closed her eyes with a smile on her face.

The next morning, the storm that had come at night still raged with fury. Snow fell from the sky copiously and the roads outside winterfell were covered by it.

Those of the guest that had woken early looked at the snowy fields with wonder, as most of them came from much warmer climates.

One dignitary from Braavos, who was planning to leave on that day, said to Robb "I am afraid I will have to abuse of your hospitality a few more days"

Robb smiled and said "It's no abuse at all, my lord, on the contrary. I am glad to offer our hospitality to such distinguished emissaries from faraway lands".

It was still very early, and most of the guests or the habitants of winterfell were still sleeping.

Robb was surprised to find Arya and Lyanna already awake. Normally her sister slept during most of the day as she was a nocturnal creature.

Robb noticed the likeness of her aunt and Arya, as he saw them talking to each other. Both appeared of the same age, as he knew Lyanna "died" at 16 and Arya was only 15.

The queen was also an early bird, as she came to stand by his side and looked out to the storm.

"Northern clime" she commented casually with a smile.

Robb was about to reply, but then he noticed that there were some of the guests that had woken earlier than everyone else.

The four travellers were riding effortless through the storm as if it were a sunny day. As they reached the entrance of the castle, Jon bowed to the queen and said

"We shall depart to the wall when your majesty commands" he said with curtsey, and added

"I know security must be very important to you, my queen…We took the liberty to explore the surrounding area two hours ago and there is nothing out of the ordinary"

The lord commander noticed the odd stares everyone was giving him and his companions. "You went outside in this weather?" One of the king guards asked.

A lady from dorne asked with disbelief "And you pretend that the queen travels in those conditions…are you mad?"

The four members of the night watch exchanged confused looks

"Pardon, my lady…but I don't follow" The most surprising fact was that they were being sincere in their confusion. There was no mockery

"You lived too long in the frozen north" Robb finally said. He stared at the sky and added

"This may be normal where you came from, but here in the…" He was going to say north but corrected himself "Here in the south we are not accustomed to travel in such conditions"

His words seemed to convince them, as they exchanged knowing looks among themselves.

"Is it too much to ask if you remain for a few more days?" the queen asked with a sweet smile.

"I really wish to listen to your stories, and also I still want to go with you to the wall" she added

Jon looked at his companions. Tyrion said nothing, but by his expression, he knew that he wanted to leave today. Sandor's face was unreadable as always and Samwell just shrugged his shoulders.

"We will stay until you feel that the conditions are good to travel to the north, my lady" Jon bowed his head, and the queen's smile broadened.

Arya watched the exchange from inside the castle, Lyanna at her side. Arya had already explained to her that those were the night watch members of whom she spoke last night.

Lyanna watched Jon snow with intensity when she learned who he really was.

"He was just a baby the last time I saw him" she whispered to Arya.

For her part, Arya just smiled. She was determined to talk to Jon, whether he wanted or not.

She didn't know why, but a part of her was strangely glad that he was not her half brother, even thought she loved him fiercely. She wondered briefly if she should tell him the truth of his origins

She was distracted from her thoughts as she heard her brother Robb

"Where are you going?" he asked as the travellers turned and began to ride towards Wintefell entrance.

His companions didn't stop, but Jon turned and said "We set a small observation camp a few miles outside"

Robb could not believe him "For what purpose? There is no danger in these lands"

Jon smiled "It's just the watch protocol, and besides…old habits die hard". Then he turned and left, not giving Robb time to reply.

Soon he disappeared in the heavy storm. Arya's disappointment was evident on her face.

"I am going to be forced to tie him in order to talk to him" she commented to her aunt

"He never stays, it is as if he is avoiding all of us "

Lyanna laughed softly "Want some help in tying him up?" Arya smiled and added playfully

"Now I know where I got my spirit…we both are improper ladies"

The day passed quickly. Both Arya and Lyanna returned to their rooms and slept until the sun set.

"Has Jon returned?" Arya asked Robb as she entered the hall

"No" he answered and added "I still can't believe they went out in this weather"

Dinner was served and Arya sat with Lyanna. The Starks had respected her decision to leave her identity a mistery, at least for the time being; still she received more than one curious look.

For her "condition" Arya could no longer enjoy solid food, but wine was an entirely different matter. She normally drank very little, but tonight she was getting restless as Jon and her companions haven't returned yet. That made Arya pick up her cup of wine more often than usual.

By the time Jon finally entered the Hall, Arya was quite drunk. Fortunately no one paid much attention to her as she was not the only one. The day had been really cold, and wine was served copiously to "warm" those guests that came from warmer climates.

Not paying attention to what was happening on the other tables, where laughter was the most common sound as Wine made the lords and, even some of the ladies, feel more "relaxed", the black brothers sat in their table and ate their dinner in silence.

Arya was distracted from her staring at them, by her sister Sansa.

"Do you think I am pretty?" the beautiful Stark girl asked in a drunkenly voice. Arya almost laughed as she saw her "Proper" sister in that condition, but refrained herself as it was also her first drunkenness.

"Like the sun…no lord or knight would resist your charms, dear sister"

Arya knew her sister loved tales of princess rescued by brave knights since she was a small child. She was a great friend of queen Daenerys and she often visited the court. Those visits opened her eyes to the reality of politics for there were a lot of intrigues at court. But despite that, Arya still thought that deep down Sansa was still a romantic young woman waiting for her perfect knight.

Sansa directed a wistful look at the table where the black brothers ate and thought "They are so mysterious"

Arya talked for a while with her aunt and lost the notion of time; by the time she looked again, Jon and his companions had already left. Still drunk, she stared at both her sister and aunt and said "I think I shall retire for the night", then she rose up from the table and left.


	6. Night Visit

Arya planned to go to her room, but as she was about to exit the hall, angry screams were heard outside the castle, as if a fight was taking place.

Ser Gregor Clegane didn't like being here at Winterfell. He destested the starks but he was part of the Lannister's delegation. Wine usually got the worst of him and soon he was completely drunk.

"Ser Gregor, calm yourself" Jaime lannister warned as Gregor started making improper comments about the Starks.

Cersei added "My daughter is now married to Brandon Stark, they are our family now. You will respect them"

Ser Gregor stood from the table, anger clearly on his face. He bowed his head and left the hall. He didn't like being told what to do. A sinister smile formed on his lips as he went looking for a scapegoat.

Robb was the first to reach the entrance of the castle. His eyes widened when he saw Sir Gregor beating up his personal squire. The poor boy was crying, but his pleas for mercy didn't stop the mountain.

"Ser Gregor, stop this madness" Cersei exclaimed but Gregor paid no attention

No one watched him coming from the shadows, but when Gregor unsheathed his sword, and prepared to deliver a killing blow, his powerful stroke was stopped by an equally strong force.

Unlike his black brothers, Sandor wanted to take a small walk around Wintefell. When he returned and saw what was happening, the memories he thought were deeply buried resurfaced.

From the first day he had noticed his brother's presence, and now he was once again abusing a helpless person, just as he suffered when he was a small boy.

Cold rage filled Sandor and then he acted. The two brothers exchanged powerful strokes. Gregor was obviously much stronger, but Sandor began to show what ten years living in "hell" could do to a man.

He was already gaining the upper hand, but then the angry voice of the queen was heard.

"STOP THIS AT ONCE".

Sandor reacted immediately as he went to his kness and lowered his head. Gregor, who had probably experienced fear for the first time in his life as he saw the cold rage of Sandor, stood there, an expression of rage. He was still standing, as if wanting to continue the battle.

"I will not repeat that order, ser Gregor" Danny repeated. She was a gentle soul, but everyone knew that when angered she was truly a descendent of warriors.

Frustrated, ser Gregor threw his sword and left. Silence filled the place.

Sandor rose from his knees and approached the young squire, who was still lying on the floor.

"Are you alright, boy?" he asked in his raspy and rough voice. The boy nodded in silence.

"Can you stand up?" The hound helped the boy to stand up. A few servants approached them.

"We will take of care of him" a servant woman said, her eyes filled with admiration.

Before he was taken away, the boy stared up at his savior and said "Thank you, Knight"

"I am no knight" He said nothing more; he just turned his back and went back to his nightly walk.

Sansa, who had watched the whole scene wide eyed, asked Arya "Why didn't he stay? He deserved praise and recognition for his bravery"

Arya answered "remember the vows he took" she continued in a whisper, so no one could hear but her sister

"I shall wear no crowns and win no glory"

Arya left her sister in her own thoughts. She really intended to go to her room, but in her drunken state, she found herself in an entirely different direction, and before she knew it, she was standing in front of Jon's room.

The previous night, she had used her undead abilities on them, so they wouldn't notice her presence, but tonight her mind was clouded by alcohol.

Jon was sleeping on the floor again. He really had tried sleeping on the bed, but he found that he could not sleep on its soft surface. It made him feel uncomfortable. He woke up as soon as the door opened, but didn't move. His hand gripped his knife tighter as he readied himself for whatever would come.

Unsure on what to do, Arya just stood there as she watched her "brother" sleeping. She kneeled and extended her hand to caress his face, but was taken by surprise when he took her wrist with one hand and with the other he had his knife in her neck.

The distrustful expression on his face disappeared and he released her immediately as he recognized who she was. "A..arya" he said, the tone in his voice full of shame for what he did.

"Ahh..dear brother, so you remember me" Jon noticed immediately how drunk she was.

"You are drunk, Arya…go back to your room and get some rest" he said, but Arya had set her mind on not leaving.

"I am here to talk with you Jon…whether you like it or not" She moved closer to him, so close that made him feel uncomfortable

"Why are you avoinding us?" she asked, hurt evident on her face "Don't you love us anymore?"

Jon studied her face. She was no longer the little girl that she was 10 years ago. Although she still looked younger than what he expected.

"I have never stopped loving my family with all my heart, Arya" he confessed. A smile formed on her lips

"But then why are you being so distant Jon?"

Jon smiled sadly at her "You wouldn't understand Arya…when I took the vows, I knew I had to cut all my ties to the world. My life belongs to the nightwatch, Arya…Believe me, returning to winterfell was really hard for me, for I know that I will probably never return again, and I will never see any of you again… If I kept my distance, the separation would not be as hard for me"

He stood up and helped her to do so as well. He was surprised to see how tall she was now, slightly taller than him.

"Go back to your room sister…I promise we will talk in the morning"

"But I don't want to leave" she said stubbornly. Her emotions were running wildly.

Jon snow backed away from her as her eyes glowed and her fangs extended. He took his knife and pointed it at her.

Arya's heart sunk as she saw the look of horror in Jon's face. She really didn't intent for him to see her like that.

Jon was taken by surprise when tears began to flow from her eyes, and then she broke down and cried. All his years of experience as a member of the watch didn't prepare him for this kind of situation.


	7. Family matters

Jon had faced all kinds of situations in the north. Wildlings, giants, the others, wights, and all sort of unnamed creatures had been his adversaries. Now, he stood unsure on how to react to his crying sister, who was clearly upset and absolutely drunk.

Something terrible has happened to his little sister, that was obvious, but he doubted she had evil intentions.

He stared at the knife in his hand and then at the crying girl and felt bad for her. He put the knife over the bed and then kneeled in front of the girl

"Arya" he said with a gentle voice "I am sorry I reacted in that way"

Arya raised her face from her hands and stared at him, still sobbing "I am an ugly monster…you and everyone else fears me"

Her brother looked at her sadly and said. "Arya, I have faced monsters over the past few years…Believe me, you are NOT a monster…and you are certainly not ugly. You have grown into a beautiful young woman….whatever your "condition" is, I am sure you are still the same kind and compassionate person I knew long ago"

A shy smile formed on her lips "You really mean that brother?"

Jon smiled back "With all my heart"

Jon watched as a smile graced her pretty face, but suddenly it disappeared

"I am not pretty…boys have never liked me…Joffrey Baratheon once called me ugly after I bested him with my sword"

Jon couldn't help but smile as he imagined that scene. He wondered if those sudden changes in Arya's state of mind, going from crying to being happy to being depressed were due to the alcohol or was just something normal with teenage girls. He was never good with women; they were a complete mystery to him.

"Sansa is the pretty one" she continued "even the knight of flowers, ser Loras Tyrell has praised her beauty"

Jon replied. "You are both beautiful, but you were always my favourite. Sansa was a delicate flower, but I always preferred the wild Arya"

She smiled once again "You really think I am beautiful?".

She closed her eyes and said "I have never kissed a boy in my whole life…Sansa and Robb have told me that it feels like magic"

She opened her eyes and stared intently at Jon "Have you ever kiss a girl before, Jon?"

The lord commander blushed red, something that made Arya giggle as she thought he looked adorable like that.

"You should not ask those questions, Arya" he said forcible "That is impolite and improper"

Arya laughed "I thought you said your preferred the wild Arya"

Jon didn't like how this conversation was headed, so he decided to change the subject.

"Arya, tell me what happened to you"

The girl's face turned seriously "It is along story" she said

For the next hour she told him everything. Her journeys, her "death", her new diet, how her family reacted and finally the events of the last few days..

Jon touched his throat involuntarily as she told him how she drank his own blood. If she had been sober, she may have omitted Jon's part of the story with Lyanna and his true origins. But the expression on Jon's face made her realize what she has done.

She expected him to be angry, to scream, to say something. Not that look of emptiness that appeared on his face.

"Oh, Jon, I am sorry…I shouldn't have told you that"

Jon didn't say anything; he just kept an empty stare.

"Jon, that doesn't change anything…you are still our kin"

Jon laughed quietly, but his laughter was humourless. "You are absolutely right Arya, it changes nothing…I was a bastard before and I am still a bastard now. The only difference is that I know who my mother was, but the identity of my father is unknown"

Arya was now truly angry "DON'T SAY THAT… DON'T YOU DARE SAY THAT"

She calmed down a little and added "You are NOT a bastard, you are lord commander of the nightwatch, the hero who defeated the others"

She stared into his eyes and continued "Father raised you as one of us…you are a STARK of winterfell" But her words didn't seem to be working

"I.. I shouldn't have come…this was a mistake…I should have listened to the others. We belong in the wall, just like all the other bastards, the rejected, the scum of westeros…at least no one tells lies up there"

Arya was moved by pity. "You are wrong Jon …I know that you felt rejected and sometimes you were not treated as you should have, but we have always loved you as one of us. Father, Robb, Sansa, Brandon, Rickon, myself, even my mother in her own way, we all care about you…do you think that you are no longer our brother because of this…Your real father was Eddard Stark, lord of winterfell, as he raised you as one of us."

Hope returned to Arya as her words finally seemed to be reaching him. She took his face in her hands and said softly "I am sorry if the world was cruel to you and your companions, but by the gods I will do everything in my power to make things right"


	8. The truth of War

They talked for a bit more, mostly about the nature of Arya and Lyanna's "condition" and also of Jon's life beyond the wall, but there was something that still left Arya a bit curious.

"Jon, does the name Stormclouds mean anything to you?"

His face paled at the mention of it

"When I drank from Tyrion Lannister, there was a part of his memories that were just "blocked". I know it has something to do with that name"

Jon's face was serious "Arya, he only spoke to me once of that incident, he confided on me as lord commander that I would never tell anyone what he went through…you could ask him but I doubt he will speak of it"

Jon's words only increased her curiosity, as she had seen in Tyrion's memories that he was a changed man after that.

As she was about to leave, Arya surprised Jon as she grabbed him and gave him a tight Hugh "I really missed you"

Jon returned the Hugh and they held each other in silence. If her heart still beated she would have blushed as she felt his touch. She felt a little disappointed as he let took some distance from her.

"Good night Arya", he said with a sincere smile

"What of my goodnight kiss" she asked with a smile

Jon recalled that when she was little, he would go to her room and read some stories to her and then would kiss her on the forehead.

After he gave her a chaste kiss, she left his room, a little confused over her own feelings. She went to join her aunt at the entrance of the castle as they planned to "hunt" together tonight, but Jon was still on her mind.

The next day at lunch, the queen had requested that the black brothers sit at her table, as she wished to hear their stories.

Jon was truly surprised as he mistook Lyanna for Arya, but as she laughed gently at his mistake, Jon began to notice the little differences. Arya came rushing to them and quickly introduced them.

Lyanna said "I am really sorry for what happened to your mother" her face filled with remorse.

Jon answered "It was not your fault, my lady…and even if I lost a mother" with that he stared at Arya "I gained a new family"

People sat at their tables, the guests asking them questions about their adventures and life beyond the wall. At one point, the queen decided to ask Tyrion as and he had been silent.

"What of you, lord Tyrion…anything interesting to tell us"

Tyrion made a formal smile and answered "I am no lord, My lady. and I am afraid I did not have as many experiences as my brothers…Most of the time I planned strategies with the lord commander"

The matter seemed to be left alone, but Arya fallowed her impulsive nature. She asked without thinking.

"What happened at Stormclauds?"

Tyron's face darkened, there was something in his eyes that sent chills on everyone present. For a moment he wondered how the Stark girl has heard that cursed name

"There are things, lady Stark…that are better left alone"

The conversation turned into politics. The hand of the king, Robert baratheon, began to speak of the possible threat of the Dothraki, who have been unified under the iron rule of Khal Drogo.

The Straks, Tullys, Martell and Arryn favoured dimplomacy, while the Lannisters, Baratheon, Tyrell and greyjoy had ambitions of conquest. The environment turned a little hostile after Joffrey Baratheon accused the others cowardice, but then everyone was surprised when Tyrion's voice was heard

"Stormcluds is the name of the region where I was taken prisoner by the others after an ambush…for three years I was held captive in one of their underground bases; working as slave labor with a few unfortunate wildlings, surviving on things that would disgust an animal. On the third year of captivity, I was able to escape with those few who survived…We would have starved but fortunately we found a small village of the thenn people."

He stopped for a moment, his face still had that emotionless mask

"Had we known the others were tracking us…we would have avoided the village"

After a while he continued "Two hours later we left the village. They had given us provisions and even a few guides to lead us south. We tried to convince them that it was too dangerous to stay, that the others were in their territory, but they refused to leave the land of their ancestor...we advances as much as we could until a patrol of the King beyond the wall found us."

"The sun was beginning to set as we told them all we knew; the presence of the others in that area, how we escaped them and the help we received from the villages. The sun was completely gone by the time we finished with our tale and darkness enveloped us. As we said goodbye to our guides, we heard screams coming from the north. Despite the fear we felt, my comrades and I ran after the guides as they went back to their village."

"We ran as fast as we could but in the darkness it was hard to go faster and unfortunately we arrived too late…..What we found there was…."

For the first time Tyrion showed a little emotion, and he couldn't continue for a while "I had seen horrible things in my life, but not even my time in captivity prepared me for what I saw there. Men, women, chidren…even newborns…."

He didn't say anything more, but the expression in his eyes told more than mere words

"The others had already left, and apparently they were so sure of their superiority that they didn't bother to cover their tracks… with the help of the patrol, we tracked them until we found them feasting"

He took a breath and continued "At that moment we were no longer men but animals. They had superior numbers but it didn't matter. By the time I regained my conciseness, I was completely covered in their blood"

"The patrol took us to their base, and we convinced their leader to launch a full scale attack as we knew the location of the others…I was surprised that he pointed me as one of the commandments….what happened after, let's just say that our attack took them completely by surprise"

He closed his eyes "We took our time with them, extracting our vengeance. We wanted to inflict the same fear they had done to all their victims…When we were done we had killed all but one survivor. We let him go north to his people with a clear message carved on his white face"

Tyrion opened his eyes and stared at the silent faces. "Since then a day has not passed that I haven't thought about those events…I still see their faces each night"

His face became really serious as he looked directly at Joffrey. "There is nothing poetic or honourable about war…don't be so willing to bring suffering to the people of Westeros"

He took a quick drink in his cup and spoke no more, not bothering to look at all the faces that stared at him with pity and horror.


	9. Author's notes

Author's notes

I started this story as a way to practice my English. I don't know where I will take it, but I'm open to suggestions. Reviews would be greatly appreciated


	10. The Wall

Asshai.

The Exiled king walked in the dark corridors of the mansion, a paper in his hand. He stood in front of a door and hesitated for a moment. He feared the "man" inside the room, but his thirst for power and revenge was even greater.

After he knocked on the door, he heard the familiar deep and melodious voice telling him to come inside. He stepped into the darkened room and although he barely could see anything in the dark, he knew his "partner" was there watching him.

"Any news?" he heard the man speak.

"My sister is at Winterfell attending the wedding of Eddard Stark youngest son and Robert's Baratheon's daughter. Our allies are among the guests, my lord."

The man smiled as he noticed how difficult was for the proud former king to call him lord.

"The pieces are moving, we need them to create dissension among the people of westeros and force them to go to war with the Dothraki…I trust you send one of your people to Vaes Dothrak" the man asked.

Viserys answered "It has been done my lord, I believe those barbarians are easily to manipulate…soon our enemies will destroy each other and I will be able to reclaim my throne."

He bowed his head and quickly added "Of course, I will rule as your vassal"

Viserys knew the man's ambition to rule the much larger continent of essos. Only the dothraki were powerful enough to challenge him. Quart, Yiti and the three slavers cities of Astapor, Yunkai and meeren were ruled by puppets he controlled at will.

At that moment two guards entered carrying a girl that struggled in vain to free herself. There were tears in her eyes.

"What a waste" Viserys thought, noticing the great beauty the Dothraki girl possessed.

"I take my leave, my lord" the former king said, but the voice of the man stopped him.

"Stay and watch" he ordered and smiled sinisterly.

Viserys paled as the man stepped out of the shadows and now he could clearly see his features.

"What's your name?" she asked the girl in her native tongue. The girl was truly scared, she had heard strange stories about him, but she stared at him with defiance

"My name is Irri" She flinched as he extended his hands and she felt the cold touch of his skin.

"Let me go" she demanded. The man smiled and now two long fangs could be clearly seen in his mouth.

"I like your spirit, girl…perhaps you are worthy of the dark gift" Viserys closed his eyes as the screams began

Winterfell

"They are all idiots" Gregor whispered to Joffrey

"I just can't wait until Viserys return"

Both men were very ambitious and lusted for power. They had enjoyed their friendship with the former king, but queen daenerys didn't trust them at all.

Joffrey's anger only increased as Sansa Stark ignored him. They were betrothed 10 years ago but the compromise had been broken by Sansa Herself as she realized the kind of person he truly was.

He watched as the crow flew with another message he sent to King's landing. "Soon" he whispered

The snow had mostly melted, and after lunch, preparations were made for the queen to travel to the wall. Most of the guests would be travelling south, but a few would accompany her to the wall, as they were also curious to see it and also the wild lands.

All the Starks, Renly Baratheon and his best friend and lover Loras Tyrell, Margaery Tyrell, and the Martells accompanied the queen on her journey. The journey lasted all afternoons, the travellers feeling how the temperature was slowly lowering as the moved further North.

Finally, when the sun was beginning to set, they caught their first glimpse to the wall.

"By the gods" was all Daenerys could say. She had heard stories of how imposing it was, but those stories fell short to describe its magnificence.

The travellers made a quick stop at Castle black, as the lord commander checked on the repairs, which were already underway. Arya couldn't help but notice the grim appearance of all the members of the order, it was clear that all of them were experienced warriors.

It was obvious to her that titles or class differences didn't exist here, as they didn't waste time with court formalities. These were practical men.

Finally, Jon led the queen and the others towards the top of the wall, as they desired to see the wild lands. When they arrived, Arya's eyes widened as she watched the lands that lied beyond the wall, unconsciously she grabbed Jon's arm. It was true that she had watched their memories, but that didn't compare to seeing it with her own eyes

Robb now understood Tyrion words as he referred to these lands as the "real North". Even Lyanna, who had travelled the continent of essos looking for a cure, was impressed as this was perhaps the harsher land she has ever seen.

Jon began to explain as he pointed to the shapes of far away mountains in the north. "Those mountains are the highest in all westeros, and beyond them lies the land of always winter"


	11. Goodbye?

The visit to the wall left a mark on all those presents. Queen Daenerys swore that as long as she was queen, the Night watch would receive all the support from the crown.

It had been five months since Jon stood at the entrance of castle black, saying goodbye to the royal entourage. Arya was the last to leave, as she held him in her arms in a tight embrace, not letting him go until he promised her that this wouldn't be the last time they would see each other.

"I can't promise you that, Arya…my life belongs here and beyond the wall…a mission to the north, if the need arises, might take months or even years…and there is always the possibility that I might never return as it happened to Benjen Stark"

"B..but you said the others were defeated…I thought there were no more threats" She said as tears filled her face.

"There are always threats beyond the wall, Arya…not all the wildlings follow the king beyond the wall, and most of the lands of always winter remains unexplored…we don't know yet what other horrors might come from that cursed land even further north"

He took her face in his hands and kissed her on the forehead "Good bye Arya"

Time passed and what happened south was of little concern to the black order, even if the rumors of war grew each day. Daenerys rule was just and wise, and the common folk enjoyed times of prosperity, but that didn't stop the ambitions of the noble lords, each playing their own scheming to increase their wealth and power.

There were houses like the Baratheon were each brother had ambitions of their own. The queen knew all of this, but her main concern was the threat across the sea, as Dothraki forces were moving towards the free cities.

It took everyone by surprise as the queen and Robb Stark announced their engagement. Their mutual attraction was evident, but everyone thought it wouldn't go beyond a "platonic"relationship, Robb would be king and that meant the new lord of Winterfell would be Brandon Stark.

Meanwhile Viserys and his lord were now in the free city of braavos, in constant communication with their allies. Joffrey had proven to be a useful ally, as he created rumors to bring animosity between the different houses.

Gregor Clegane, acting under his orders, has done a few raids in different kingdoms. He left no survivors in his attacks, but left painted messages that would put the blame on the wrong people.

Tensions were clearly rising but on the wall that didn't matter. The watch has always maintained a policy of strict neutrality and Jon was not going to change that.

One day, as he returned from a visit to the king beyond the wall, he found Samwell, who now served as lord steward, waiting for him in his office. After he gave the lord commander a report, he handed him a letter.

"This letter arrived yesterday from King's landing". Jon broke the seal and began to read. After a while he stared at his steward and also best friend and said

"Another wedding"

1 hour later, Jon met with his three highest ranking officers; First builder Tyrion Lannister, Frirst Ranger Sandor clegane and first steward Samwell Tarly. None were too happy to hear the news that each of them had personally been invited by the queen herself. However they all knew this might be a chance to find new recruits, as the watch was in desperate need of new men.

They travelled with a group of some 10 heavily armed rangers. They passed winterfell but all the starks had already left.

"They left a week ago, my lord" the officer left in charge told him "Due to health problems, Lady Sansa was only be able to travel three days ago".

They left winterfell, and marched at a good pace. People would stop their daily routines and watch them as they passed through towns and fields. Although they seldom spoke to anyone on their route, Jon could feel tension in each town they passed, as if people were expecting a war to start.

As they neared king's landing, the group found the remains of a small caravan that had suffered from an attack. Jon face paled as he recognized the colors and emblems of the victims as those of Winterfell.

"Sansa" he thought

"May I have a word" he heard the voice of Sandor, who looked to be in deep thought as he examined the scene and the bodies.

"I think I have an idea on who did this….this seems very familiar to me" Jon noticed the ire in Sandor's face and he knew what the first ranger wanted.

"I only need five men" he said


	12. Rescue

When they arrived at King's landing, the news of the attack had already arrived and the city was in a state of turmoil. What were supposed to be days of celebration turned to be what people feared would be the beginning of a civil war.

The lords were so occupied blaming each other, that no one noticed when Jon and his companions entered the main hall.

The queen had been silent for the moment, watching the different lords fighting among themselves. Even Robb and all the Starks, who so far had given example of good behaviour and prudence, were among the angriest of those presents. She couldn't blame them, as the eldest daughter, and also her best friend, was probably dead.

She feared what would happen, as now everybody was talking of war openly

"Your grace"

The familiar voice took her away from her thoughts, she looked down and saw the man dressed entirely in black, kneeling in front of her.

"Jon?" Arya said mostly to herself as she finally noticed his presence and that of his black brothers.

Jon stood up and then turned his attention towards his "family" and said to Robb

"I ask you to give me one or two days" then he turned at looked at each lord, his eyes filled with Disappointment

"Then you can all have your stupid war"

He bowed once again to the queen, and left. Not bothering to wait for an answer

"Harrenhall

"You will not get away from this" Sansa exclaimed

The mountain laughed at the girl, who was trapped inside a cell with a monk"

"Oh, I think I will…I would have raped you, but there is someone who wants you more than I do…And I doubt he will be as "gentle" as I".

A scream was heard and then the sound of swords clashing. The mountain's face turned seriously and he grabbed a sword. It was only seconds, but soon the screams faded.

The door opened and those presents heard a familiar raspy voice. "You will surrender to me brother…I am taking you to the queen's justice"

The face of the monk brightened in recognition. Only Sandor and him knew of Gregor's hideout when he pillaged during the reign of king vaserys

Sandor entered the room slowly; a neutral expression on his face, but his eyes told another story. If he recognized those in the cell, he didn't show it, as his attention was entirely focused on his older brother.

"Ah Brother" the mountain taunted "You came here to die"

Sandor didn't reply, he simply charged, his coldness in battle surprising the mountain. They fought, each showing impressive skills with the sword, but the fight was over when sandor inflicted a terrible wound of Gregor's right leg. He tried to resist more, but Sandor attacked him relentlessly, as if he didn't tire. Such was the cold rage that burned inside him.

Gregor screamed as his right hand was cut from his arm. Sandor pushed him and he fell to the floor

"Kill me.. that is what you want" the mountain urged him as Sandor stood above him

Sandor doubted. Here it was his chance to obtain what he had always wanted, but then he reflected on all the things he had learned at the night watch and he doubted.

"Sandor don't. You are better than him" he heard the voice of the Monk, the same man who had given him a purpose ten years ago.

"Do you remember sweet Arianne". The Mountain said with a mocking voice. Sandor face remained neutral at the mention of his dead sister. The only person who showed kindness to him when he was a small boy and who tried to protect him from Gregor

The mountain continued "Father lied to you about how she died…I still remember her screams when I raped her"

For the first time, Sandor showed some emotion in his face. His hand trembled. Both Sansa and the elder brother were to horrified to speak for the moment and watched as the scarred man fought with himself

At that moment, Sandor's fellow rangers entered the room. They saw their leader holding his sword agains the chest of his fallen brother.

"Release the prisoners" Sandor said in his raspy voice but his eyes still focused on his brother. A few seconds passed and apparently the inner battle was being won by the part of him that still wanted vengeance.

The sword moved slowly to his brother's flesh, but then he felt something warm and soft holding his arm.

"Please, don't" Surprised, he saw the beautiful face of the stark girl, her eyes filled with something he couldn't describe.

He turned from her and stared at his brother "He has taken everything from me" he said in a whisper. He was taken by surprise as she took his face in her hand and gently made him turn to face her

"If you kill him, laying on the floor, defenceless, then you become like him…You are better than that". He stared at her for a while and then made his decision

"Tend to his wounds and tie him up" he ordered his black brothers "The queen shall decide his fate"

They wasted no time and soon the small group started their journey to King's landing. Sansa and the monk rode side by side as they spoke in whispers, not wanting to let Sandor know that they were speaking of him

Sansa learned that it was him that convinced Sandor to join the night watch, to give his life a purpose at the service of others

"He was a bitter tormented soul when he came to the monastery, a man who despised both gods and men. He served but found no pride in service. He fought but took no joy in victory. He drank, to drown his pain in a sea of wine. He did not love, nor was he loved himself. It was hate that drove him. Where other men dream of love, or wealth or glory, this man, Sandor Clegane, dreamed of slaying his own brother, a sin so terrible it makes me shudder just to speak of it. Yet it was the bread that nourished him, the fuel that kept his fires burning. Ignoble as it was, the hope of seeing his brother's blood upon his blade was all this sad and angry creature lived for"

Sansa stared silently at Sandor after hearing the monk's description


	13. Another bastard

Arya, with the help of Lyanna, tried to locate them but it was as if the earth had swallowed them.

"I doubt they are in the palace or the surrounding area" Lyanna said "And king's landing is a very big city"

Arya let out a frustrated sigh. "He told Robb to give him one or two days…be patient" her aunt added

Arya had a mixture of emotions inside of her. Her sister's caravan was attacked and there was no news of her. Now Jon had arrived unexpectedly and saw all them behaving like immature children.

She wanted to tell him how she felt, how worried she was about her sister. She wanted to hear his advice on this and also find comfort in his arms.

"one or two days for what?" she asked mostly to herself but then calmed down "I guess you are right" she said defeated,

"we could go to the city streets but the chances to find them would be very small.."

On another part of the city, Tyrion and his ranger friends bronn and Yoren entered a forge, as Tyrion's short sword needed some repair

It took their eyes a moment to adjust to the dark, a memory of his time as slave to the others crossed Tyrion's mind.

"Is anybody here?" he asked as he saw no one

"Just a minute," he heard a young male voice from the back of the shop.

They waited until a tall dark haired young man appeared, dressed in smith's clothing and all dirty and sweaty from his work.

They told him what they needed and the smith replied that it wouldn't take so long.

Tyrion and the rangers were taken by surprise when the boy asked

"Are you here in the city to recruit for the night watch?"

"Why?" bronn asked "you interested?"

All of them were surprised by his quick and firm reply

"I am"

"Do you kow the implications of joining?" Tyrion asked with a little smirk

The boy replied. "I'm a bastard with no place in the world. The owner of this shop took me as his apprentice when I was very young. I have no one"

Tyrion smiled as he always had a soft spot for "cripples, bastards and broken things"

"What's your name?"

He answered "Gendry"

"You have the perfect material to join, Gendry…we will be staying in the city for a few days but you can come with us when we return north".

The next day, the environment was less hostile in the great hall, but accusations still filled the place. Cersei loved all her children, but ultimately she was really angry at the behaviour of Joffrey, who seemed on the intent to start fights.

Unlike Jaime, who was now lord of casterly rock after their father died, Cersei was very ambitious, but she knew wars were bad business for everyone, especially now that the kingdom needed a unified front against the Dothraki.

"What is he up to?" She wondered as she watched her son closely.

The day passed slowly, with the queen trying to put some order to the noble lords but with little success. She was beginning to think that the ceremony would have to be postponed, but then the door of the hall opened and a familiar auburn haired girl came inside, followed by the royal guards and an old looking monk.

Lady Catelyn was a proper lady, but she forgot all protocol as she saw her baby returned to her. She was the first to react after the shocked silence that befell the hall.

She stood from her chair and screamed Sansa's name as she went running to her. Her family soon followed her example. Sansa felt overwhelmed by all the love she received, tears escaped her face as each of them hugged her.

The queen stood from her place and approached her with a smile.

"W..what happened to you?" the queen asked, still not giving credit that her best friend was alive and well.

Sansa didn't have to answer as the guards carried a tied ser Gregor, all of them noticing his missing hand.

"Ser Gregor attacked our caravan" she explained. Murmurs filled the hall

The old monk, who has been silent until then, spoke "He has been doing it for months, attacking in all the southern kingdoms and putting the blame on others… his real intent was to stir trouble and even a civil war…with what purpose, I still don't know"

The queen recognized the monk as the venerable elder brother from the quiet isle, who had been missing for months. Her gaze hardened as she stared at the mountain

"Take him away…we shall pass judgement on him very soon"

It was Lyanna who asked the question everyone wanted to ask "How did you escape?"

Sansa chuckled "We didn't escape, we were rescued" She smiled inwardly as he saw that everyone present were a little frustrated that she didn't name who it was. She loved being the center of attention, and right now she enjoyed it

The always impatient Arya asked bluntly "So… who was it?" Sansa took her time

"It was Sandor Cleagne and five of his brave brothers of the night watch" At that moment Robb remembered Jon's words

"Give me a day or two"

Everyone looked at the entrance of the hall but saw no sign of them. "They are not here" the monk explained.

"The lord commander was waiting for us at the entrance of the city, and then they escorted us to the castle. They delivered us to the Royal guards and left."

The queen repeated his words, as if not giving credit "They just left?"

Sansa answered, a sad smile on her face "I begged Sandor to come with us and tell the tale himself, but he told me he wasn't good at words and it was not his place. Jon said that there were other matters that needed his attention".

No one noticed as Joffrey left the hall, the expression on his face grim.

"He is not going to like this" he thought.

On the hall, the queen seemed amused by this turn of events.

"Captain" she called the leader of her personal guard

"I want you to find the members of the night watch and bring them here…tell them that I insist"

She was surprised by Robb, who touched her hand and said "My love, perhaps we should respect their privacy…I'm sure they have earned it"

Daenerys loved his public show of affection for her "Very well, but just for tonight. Tomorrow I want to talk to them"

Later that night, after most of the guest had left, Sansa and the monk stayed at the request of the queen, who wished to hear the story in more detail. Sansa's family also stayed.

Sansa told them every small detail, the attack, her time as a prisoner in harrenhall, Gregor harsh words, Sandor coming and his duel with Gregor, Sandor inner battle with himself and the fate of his sister.

The monk told them the same impression he had on Sandor when he meet him ten years ago, so they could understand his rage against his brother and his decision to join the Night watch.

The queen asked with a little confusion

"But why did he hate his brother so much if it was only yesterday that he learned the horrible fate of his sister".

Only Arya and Sansa knew the story from Lord Baelish and they proceeded to tell it to the horrified audience.

The queen, who still remembered him when he served in the royal guard, now understood why he loathed knighthood, as his brother was a knight


	14. Thirst

"Our first recruit eh?"

Jon stared at the young man, who was only a few years younger than him. He was physically impressive, probably due to the years working in a forge.

Tyrion had told him that he was just like him, a bastard and Jon liked his honest eyes. He spoke a little with him and was thinking that this might be a fine addition to their numbers.

Although the city had enjoyed times of prosperity, like the rest of westeros, this was still the "bad" part of town, just the right place to look for possible recruits. It was late at night and tomorrow was going to be a long day, as they planned to visit orphanages, prisons and all sort of places where the unfortunate lived.

Jon liked to think that they were doing a good job, that they were giving those that society had forgotten, everything they lacked. A place they could call home, a family in the brotherhood, and a mission in life. He had been really angry when he entered the hall and found all those lords fighting among themselves and talking of war.

"What do they know of suffering or war" he thought. More and more he felt more at home in these streets than in the palace.

Braavos

Viserys was reluctant to enter the room where the Dothraki girl was held captive, but his lord has called for him. The girl had chains made with valyrian steel, but more than once she had broken it and tried to escape.

So far her "maker" had not been able to break her spirit. She had refused to feed on human blood so they gave her rats.

"One day you will tire of that disgusting diet" the mysterious man said as he held a young girl of 9 or 10 that was to be hers.

The poor girl was trembling and was too scared to even cry. "You could end her suffering" the man taunted as he tossed the girl to Irri's arms.

Despite her thirst, as they hadn't given her rats for two days, she held the much smaller girl in her arms, whispering soft words in her native tongue that she knew the girl wouldn't understand but hoped would calm her.

"I must look like a monster to her" she thought as she knew the thirst made her show her true face. The girl trembled and she held her tighter, hoping to bring some comfort to her

"Monster" she said as she raised her gaze and stared directly into his eyes.

"I shall return in a few hours" the men said and turned, not bothering to look the despair in Irri's face. Viserys followed him out of the room, and the last thing he saw before the door was closed, was the dothraki holding the girl in her arms as tears were coming out of her eyes.

"We have much to discuss" the man said "a part of our plans have been compromised.

For hours Irri tried to resist with all her strength, but her will was slowly fading. She was about to fall into temptation, but then a bright light illuminated the room, so bright that she was forced to close her eyes.

As the light faded, she opened her eyes and was surprised to see the figure of a man

"I am going to help you" the man spoke perfectly in her tongue. He extended his hand and after a few seconds of doubt, she grabbed it.

A few hours later, the mysterious man opened the door and found it empty. Surprise evident on his face, he entered the room until he felt something that was strangely familiar

"Brother" he thought "You still think you can save them?"

King's landing

After she quenched her thirst with the blood of a wild animal, she stared at the man with wide eyes.

"How did you do that?"

The man smiled "There are other powers and magic in this world besides the dark gift"

She tensed as she felt someone coming.

Both Arya and Lyanna were hunting in the nearest forest to king's landing, when both of them saw a bright light appearing in the middle of the woods and then vanishing.

"What in the seven hells was that?" Arya exclaimed as she made her way towards it.

Lyanna's eyes widened in recognition when they came to a clearing where three people stood "Azoor?"

The man bowed his head "Lady stark, you look as lovely as when we first meet in old Ghis


	15. Tales of Old

The only one of her "kind" Irri had seen was her maker, and for five months she thought there were no others, but now she could feel these two girls, who seemed to be of her same age, also shared her "condition, even thought their faces were normal at the moment.

In her time of captivity, she had learned a little of the common tongue, so she understood most of what was being spoken.

"You know these people?" Arya asked, noticing their foreign clothes and appearance. She was excited to find someone who shared her nature as she stared at the dothraki girl with interest.

"Only Azoor. He is a magician I met at the ruins of Old Ghis"

Azoor smiled "A magician? I am a little more than that, young one"

Lyanna crossed her arms, her face serious "What are you doing here? It must be no coincidence that you came to this place"

He sighed "I came to give you the answers you were so eager to find…Also I need to talk with the young dragon queen"

Lyanna smiled "If I recall our last meeting, I though you said there were no answers"

He moved closer "You asked the wrong questions"

He was silent for a few seconds, looking into her eyes and then continued.

"The dark gift didn't start with you and the spell you casted 25 years ago"

"What?" Lyanna asked shocked

His face turned serious and said mostly to himself as he closed his eyes

"He has always had a twisted sense of humor"

He opened his eyes again and continued "Do you remember the man that helped you cast the spell?"

Lyanna answered "N..not really. He always had his face covered"

"When you fell unconscious after the spell he casted, he drank from you and then gave you his own blood. He visited Prince Rhaegar that night and did the same to him…when you woke up, you assumed that it was the spell that caused it"

Lyanna's eyes widened "All these years I carried the weight of my sins…and now you tell me that it was never my fault"

Arya stared at her with compassion "Who is the monster who did this?" Arya asked.

Azoor made a sad smile "The same monster that turned that poor dothraki girl and wishes to restore the glory of the old Ghiscari Empire and rule over Essos and Westeros"

He stared at each of them and said, his voice denoting how serious it was

"Understand, you are facing an ancient evil. He was alive long before the rise of Valyria, when the Ghiscari Empire was at its peak of power and ruled most of Essos. Viserys Targaryan serves him as he has promised the iron throne to the former king, and they have been working on bringing chaos to the kingdom"

Lyanna asked, still not giving credit to his words "And how do you know this?"

He stared at her intently "Because he is my brother"

"B..But how can that be?" Arya asked, she was never good at history but she heard stories of the ancient Valyrian Empire, and this man claimed to be from and even older civilization.

"You are not one of us, and yet you claim to have lived for thousands of years"

The man laughed but it was humourless "This world is old, very old. The dark gift is just one type of all the magic that still remains from the elder days…I am but the humble servant of some of the old powers"

He took a deep breath and continued "What you people from Westeros call the Children of the forest, or the others, are but a glimpse of ancient times, long before the age of men…my brother, in his lust for power, recurred to the dark powers that still lingered on this earth."

He turned to look at Irri and the little girl that stood at her side. "I will be taking the little girl back to her family in bravos"

"What about me?" Irri asked in the common tongue, the tone in her voice denoting how nervous she was

He looked sadly at her. "You know you can't return to your family and your people…they will never accept you for what you are"

He stared at both Arya and Lyanna "Will you help her? She still has a lot to learn of her nature and has spent five months as a prisoner of my dear brother, feeding on rats"

Lyanna looked at her with compassion "You can stay with us as long as you desire"

Irri smiled at her but said nothing, still affected by the fact that her old life was over and now she was forced to live away from her people in the western lands across the sea.

"I will return soon" He said. "Tell the queen who the real enemy is, but do so in private as the enemy has spies everywhere. Trust only in your close family"

Then he grabbed the girl in his arms and disappeared in a flash of light.

On the morning the queen acceded to talk to them in private, their family was also present. The queen listened with incredulity to them, looking at each in the face as they spoke.

Now she understood why the mysterious woman had almost the same appearance as Arya and was surprised to find that she also shared the same condition of her niece.

"Then my father lied to me of what happened to my older brother" she thought as they spoke of Rhaegar, the brother who "died" the same year she was born.

"Do you think Ser Gregor's actions had anything to do with my brother's ambition?" she asked.

Lyanna answered "I have no doubts, your grace"

The Queen said "Then the nightwatch has done the country a great service" She stared at each of them and added

"If what that..magician told you is true, then we must be careful on who we trust…I believe the night watch can be our allies in this situation…they have proven their worth"

Catelyn Stark asked "Did you send for them? I still have not thanked them for saving my daughter"

King's landing streets.

"The queen insist that it must be all of you" the captain of the royal guard said

Tyrion sighed

"What now?"

Jon asked "All of us?, not just the officers?"

The captain replied "Yes, Lord commander. All of you"

Jon stared at his companions and then at the former smith and now a official recruit "Have you ever been in the palace, Gendry?"

Samwell thought "this is going to be interesting"

he knew the 10 rangers that accompanied the officers had never been in a place like the palace before, and he doubted they knew anything of court manners


	16. Part of our family

The Starks knew that despite her young age, the queen was very good at judging people and their intentions, so they trusted those few she chose to tell the grave news

Jorah Mormont, whom the queen trusted with her own life, was an obvious choice, the same with Roberth Baratheon as hand of the king and closest friend of Eddard Stark.

However her third choice made some of them to look at her, as Jaime Lannister entered the room.

Daenerys wanted the nighwatch to be present, so they talked on small manners of the city's government until the doors of the royal chambers opened and the black brothers entered in silence.

Arya's first impulse was to stand up and greet Jon, but this time she controlled herself as there were grave matter to be discussed. She wasn't the only one as Sansa was eager to go and talk with her saviour.

The queen smiled inwardly as it was obvious most of these rangers didn't know how to act or move. They were clearly out of their natural environment, so they fallowed Jon and Tyrion's movements.

Jon kneeled in front of the queen and said "Your grace"

After a few protocolary words, those who were not officers expected to be sent away but were surprised as the queen told them all to stay for the meeting

"What we are about to tell you must be kept a secret" The queen said once everyone was seated

Jon noticed the presence of a strange foreign girl who sat next to Arya and Lyanna and wondered who she was

It was Lyanna who started speaking after the queen made the introductions and for the next hour those presents listened with attention.

There were different reactions among those presents, mostly scepticism

With the exception of Jon, none of his brothers knew of the "disease" those three girls suffered. Samwell found it similar to the wights in that they were also "dead".

When they finally finished the story, Tyrion spoke.

"Magicians, dark powers, the old world" he spoke slowly, his face showing his disbelief.

"They are all tricks"

Arya smiled and for a moment her eyes glowed and her fangs extended

"Unfortunately our condition is not a trick"

Tyrion added "No..I think it's real, and I am sure the threat is very real, but life has taught me that everything has a rational and natural explanation…there is no magic involved, only a powerful man with lust for power".

A bright light appeared in the middle of the room, and after it faded the figure of Azoor stood there with a smile on his face.

"You faced the others and Wights and yet you don't believe in magic?"

He turned to face the queen and bowed "I am sorry for this sudden interruption, your grace. I assume you were expecting my visit?"

He was interrupted by Tyrion. "Good trick, I am impressed…you will have to teach me how you did it" sarcasm evident on his voice.

"It's true that I faced the others and the Wights, and I am convinced that there was no magic involved… when I fought them, all I saw was flesh, blood and bones"

He turned and looked at the three girls "What they have is probably just a disease we do not yet comprehend"

Azoor laughed but remained silent as he studied him

Lyanna asked "You are perhaps the most interesting person I have ever known in my whole life…why do you have such a hard time accepting the supernatural?"

Tyrion made a sad smile. "My lady, it's in my nature to question everything"

He stared at his black brothers and added "I've never been a religious man, and what I've seen on the field of battle or the dungeons of the others has led me to question the gods"

Azoor approached him and put a hand in his shoulder. "I understand you have suffered, but believe me, God watches over all of us"

Tyrion laughed bitterly. "And what god is that? The drowned god of the iron islands, the lord of light from eastern Essos, the god of the faith of the seven, the great stallion of the dothraki"

Azoor waited patiently and answered.

"They are one and the same…The children of the forest knew better than us and never gave it a name or built temples as us. Nature was their temple"

Tyrion's eyes turned cold "If there is a god, then it does not care…I learned that long ago. The only truth I know is that we are born into a cruel world and then we die"

"What of love?" everyone was surprised as Jaime Lannister spoke

"You once loved"

Tyrion didn't bother to look at his brother. He closed his eyes as he thought of the girl that was taken from him by the lies of his own family.

"Love is only an illusion" he finally said, sadness evident in his voice. The tone in his voice was without conviction, and everyone present knew that he really didn't believe that. Life had been cruel to him and he had been through horrible experiences but deep down he wanted to believe in something better.

The meeting continued, each expressing his opinion on how to deal with the situation; and when the convenience of celebrating the wedding the next day was mentioned, the queen said

"The ceremony will proceed as planned" She felt as Robb held her hand and smiled at her

"We must show unity and strength"

Jon frowned but respected her decision.

When the meeting was over, Jon gave a few instructions to Sandor and Tyrion, but as he rose from his chair, he heard the Catelyn Stark's voice

"Jon, wait"

Jon stared at her, Eddard's widow. The woman whom was in part responsible for him feeling rejected

"We know Arya told you the truth of your birth".

He answered politely "It matters not, my lady. The past is the past", but she interrupted him.

"I wanted to tell you that we don't care…Your father was Eddard Stark and we are your family"

Jon was speechless for a moment, as all his life he had wanted to hear those words from her.

She turned her attention to Sandor "You returned my baby back to my arms….I vow that you shall always have a place by my hearth and meat and mead at my table, I swear it by the old gods and the new".

Like Jon, Sandor was at a loss of words. He was not accustomed to be shown kindness

"Thank you, my lady" was all he could say

Daenerys rose from her chair and said to Jon. "I'm confident you and all your men will be at the ceremony"

Jon bowed and said. "We shall, your grace" Then he left

Arya went to her room, accompanied by both Lyanne and Irri. Arya has been pleasantly surprised to discover that the Dothraki girl was very much like her.

They talked about her home and discovered that her people were not the cruel savages that the rest of the world thought them to be. She had lived most of her life in Vaes dothrak, the only city of her people and was the only daughter to one of their chiefs

"When will you tell him how you feel about him?" Lyanna asked abruptly, changing the topic of conversation

Arya turned and stared at her aunt with confusion

"What do you mean?" Lyanna smiled at her

"Jon…when will you tell him that you are in love with him?"


	17. The Ceremony

Arya blinked a few times at her aunt.

"What?" she asked

Lyanna smiled at her "You are in love with him…it's as clear as water"

Arya would have flushed if she had been alive

"No" she answered, more quickly that what she would have liked.

"Jon is like a brother to me" she added as Lyanna crossed her arms and smirked at her

"What I feel for him is…" She hadn't really thought about it before, and now she found herself unable to describe what she felt. Arya realized that her feelings for him were different to what she felt for her true siblings. It was something she had never experienced before.

She stared at her aunt, looking for any advice. She wasn't comfortable with it as this was unfamiliar territory, more of a "Sansa situation" not hers. She had always been a tomboy, the wild arya.

Lyanna seemed to read what was on her mind "You and I are so alike…I remember my own confusion when I realized I was in love with prince Rhaegar. I always thought falling in love was never meant for me as I dreamed I would be a knight or a warrior"

Irri listened with great interest as she noticed the great cultural differences in simple things such as love.

"What am I suppose to do? I'm not even sure of what I feel".

Lyanna answered "I don't have that much experience either. I was only in love once and it ended badly as I tried to force him to love me…just follow your heart but with your feet on the ground"

Lyanna seemed saddened for a moment but then a smile graced her face. "For now, let's find you a dress for the ceremony"

Normally, Arya would have laughed at the idea. Her mother had learned to respect her odd choice of clothing and even at Bran's wedding she wore clothing of her own. But now, the idea to look like a "lady", even if it was for just one night, didn't bother her.

"What is taking them so long?" Sansa said impatiently. All the Stark were to accompany Robb to the ceremony but Arya and Lyanna hadn't come out of their rooms.

"Is strange for Arya to be late" Rickon added

"She n…" He fell silent when they finally appeared, followed closely by Irri. Arya thought there was something wrong with her dress when she saw how their family stared at her with incredulous looks.

"By the gods" Bran finally broke the silence "Arya, you look stunning".

Arya noticed the look of pride in her mother and smiled. Sansa approached her and said with a smile "dear sister, have you finally come to your senses?"

Murmurs and whisperers filled the hall where the ceremony would take place when the groom and his family entered. Sansa's beauty was famous throughout the kingdom and beyond, but now they saw that she wasn't the only that possessed a great beauty among the Starks. Even the queen seemed impressed.

Arya looked around but saw no sign of Jon and his companions "I am sure he will come" Lyanna whispered to her.

Arya's heart no longer beat, but she felt it might do so again when they finally arrived and she saw Jon. They wore uniforms that were reserved just for special occasion. Sober yet elegant, the completely black clothes a contrast to the rich colours the other guest wore. Strangely it fit well with their stoic and serious demeanour.

Sansa noticed that Sandor wore a strange white mask that covered the damaged half of his face. He looked extremely handsome.

The ceremony started and Dany and Robb exchanged vows to both the old and the new gods. Words were spoken in honour of the couple; the lords of the different realms raised their cups and renewed their loyalty to the crown.

The party started as soon as the ceremony was over and the guests began to intermingle. Arya, who had lost sight of Jon, felt a tingle of jealousy as she saw him surrounded by a group of young maidens. In his defense, she thought, he seemed desperate to escape from that "trap"


	18. Kind words

Even in the party, they remained watchful of everything that was happening. All that talk of magic, undead creatures, dark ancient powers left them with a sense of uncertain they didn't like

"Always be prepared for the worst" was something that had kept them alive in many situations. And they have adopted a basic "watch" formation as each of them was located in different places of the hall.

Like his companions, Tyrion watched as the party went on looking for any sign of trouble.

"Not one of you seem to be enjoying the occasion" He heard a female voice and turned to see Lady Lyanna Stark, who watched him with curiosity.

"My lady" he said and bowed.

She smiled kindly at him and then looked ahead "Your lord commander seems to be receiving quit a lot of attention"

Tyrion stared where Jon was and a grin came to his face. "He seemed more comfortable one time we were surrounded by a group of Others"

Lyanna laughed at this, then she saw Arya, not looking to happy, making her way to where Jon was. "This shall be interesting" she said mostly to herself.

"I beg your pardon, my lady?" Tyrion asked .

Lyanna looked at him and smiled again. "Please, call me Lyanna"

Tyrion stared at her with a serious expresion "I want to apologize for my behavior yesterday" he said

"Why" she asked, "you only voiced your opinion but didn't offend anyone. Still I wish I could find a way to change your dark view on life"

She paused a moment as she studied his face "I know I will never understand completely what you been through, that you have seen and endured things no man should ever experienced…But if it's any help, know that there are people who care about you and are willing to help you"

Tyrion looked at her and all he saw was true concern for him

"Whenever you want to talk about anything, don't doubt to come to me" she added

"I thank you for your kind words, My l..Lyanna" he corrected himself and she saw a genuine smile on his face.

"There is still something I don't understand" she continued

"How could you still be so sceptic about the nature of our nature after what you have seen"

Tyrion replied "The truth is that I have seen so many charlatans preying on the unsuspected…As I said yesterday, most strange things have, at the end, a rational explanation"

Lyanna noticed he used the word "most" instead of "all"

He continued "But you are right. I have thought about it and there is no decease that could bring back dead people to life"

For a moment there was hint of sadness in his face, and his eyes watered.

"What's wrong?" she asked concerned

"Nothing" he said as he quickly wiped a tear that threatened to escape his eyes. He bowed at her and tried to leave, but she put a hand on his shoulder.

"Tyrion, really. What is bothering you?"

He looked up at her. "Is just, that…I am not accustomed to be treated with such kindness, especially from a lovely lady like yourself"

He lowered his face in shame; it was rare for him to show such weakness.

Lyanna was deeply moved by his words. She placed her hand on his chin and gently raised his face to look at her.

"I meant what I said" she said and added "I hope you consider me a friend that will be there to support you whenever you need help.

A dance started Arya approached the circle in which Jon was "trapped". A few girls giggled and waited for Jon to ask one of them out for a dance, as It was proper for a lady to wait for the ser to take the inniciative, but Arya was never a proper lady.

Jon was surprised as he saw her making her way through the group of girls, her eyes fixed on him.

"I saw him first, ladies.. And he is mine for the night" she said as she grabbed him by his arms and dragged him to the dance.

Jon didn't know what surprised him most. How she claimed him or how beautiful she looked

Jaime Lannister danced with her sister

"Where is Joffrey?" he asked

Cersei looked worried "I have not seen him for two days"


	19. Dance

Jon was unfamiliar with the type of music playing; it sounded strange and evoked faraway lands in the east; unlike Westerosi music, especially north of the wall, this was more relaxed and less rigid.

This music required more physical contact between the dancers. Arya guided him as his lack of experience on music and dance was obvious. As they danced, He found kind of odd the way she looked at him.

At one point she got close, to close for his comfort. He danced further back, but the wolf in her smiled as if he was her prey. The dance became a hunt as the she wolf tried, when the dance required, to get as close to him as possible, while her "victim" tried to avoid physical contact. It only excited her more, and at one point her eyes glowed as she eyed him hungrily.

She let out a frustrated sight when the music changed to the more boring Westerosi music, but she wasn't going to let him go. She grabbed him affectingly in one arm

"I really missed you, Jon. Haven't seen you for five months"

Jon smiled at her "been busy at the wall…but it's always good to see you"

He smiled "You look beautiful, Arya"

Arya couldn't help but giggle at his words, she felt her heart melting

"You really think so?"

He grinned "You are actually wearing a dress; Don't tell me they have actually tamed you? My wild Arya"

She punched him on the arm with a grin "Never… but even wild girls have many facets"

Arya looked at him laugh and at that moment she came to realize that Lyanna's words were true. Her love for him was not that of a sister but something more.

"Now what?" she thought. Jon probably only saw her as his little sister, and even if he could eventually learn to see her as something different, he was a man of the black and his vows forbade him to any relationship, He was a man of honour that would never betray his vows.

"What's wrong?" She heard his voice, his eyes filled with concern

"N..nothing" she lied and smiled.

Braavos

"My uncle Jaime suspected something" Joffrey told both Viserys and their leader

"What of ser Gregor?" Viserys asked.

"He hasn't said anything, but he is a risk to our plans" Joffrey answered

The man smiled "Not any longer…as of now he is being taken care of"

He stared intently at Joffrey and added "Serve me well and I shall give you power and everything you desire"

Joffrey kneeled in front of the man who sat in the shadows. He tried to look at his face but it was useless.

"I pledge my life in your service, my lord"

Viserys asked. "My lord, what are we to do?, our plans have not gone as well as we hoped they would"

The man smiled and said. "I have not told you everything….soon one of the elder powers will be at my reach, and then nothing will matter. Not even my stupid brother will be able to stop me"

After the dance, Jon and Arya sat at the queen's table.

"As I was saying, in a few days I will personally go to the free cities. An arrangement has been made with Khal Drogo to try to resolve our differences and misunderstandings"

She stared at Jon and asked "You have experience dealing with the wildlings, any advice you can give us?"

Jon stared at her and answered. "I am not really an expert on the dothraki, your grace. But If I were you, I would threat them with respect but also show them that we are strong"

"Can we go with you brother?" Sansa asked, surprising everyone as she was not known for being an adventurer.

"I don't see why not. Many noble lords will be going as part of our delegation"

The queen stared at Jon and said "I really wish you could come with us, but I understand you have your obligations at the wall"

Jon bowed and answered "Your majesty is right"

He felt as Arya grabbed his hand into hers and squeezed it tightly

"You leave us again, brother?"

He noticed how sad she looked "You know how it is, but I promise that I will do everything in my power to see you more often at Winterfell"

A smile came to her beautiful face

"You really mean that?"

Jon smiled back

"With all my heart"

Lyanna smiled and turned to Tyrion

"I hope you will come with your lord commander when he visits us"

Tyrion simply nodded

Sansa, who at that moment was staring at Sandor, noticed something.

"Who is that man standing next to Sandor clegane?"

It was Tyrion who answered

"His name is Gendry Waters, he is our newest recruit. He used to work as a smith here at King's landing"


End file.
